The Assassin Princess (On Hold)

Chapter 1: Cassandra

 Footsteps.  A repetitive, thumping, and utterly sickening sound.  

Princess Cassandra wouldn't be scared to hear the royal guards approaching her.  But Cassandra, the assassin, was.  Not exactly scared, but upset.  Why today?  Why now?

Sighing inwardly, Cassandra pulled out a throwing knife.  Gripping it's wooden handle, Cassandra admired the steel blade.  Light danced off of it, and Cassandra could almost see her reflection in it.  Not that she wanted to.

Tilting her head ever so slightly, Cassandra listened as the footsteps came closer and closer towards her.  The royal guards never hesitated to make a grand entrance, even if it meant that they couldn't use the element of surprise.  The element of surprise.  Although the guards never bothered with it, it was Cassandra's main weapon.  And she planned to using it to her advantage.

In the desolated alley's darkness, Cassandra couldn't see anything.  Though she knew that the guards were trailing her, they have been ever since she looked at one on her way to the city.

Sometimes, Cassandra thought that the guards were utterly pathetic.  Not that she was complaining-it made her job a whole lot easier.  Learning against the alley's icy cold stone walls, Cassandra eyed the road for the guard's grand entrance.  Sometimes she felt guilt for killing someone who was trying to protect her, other times she didn't feel a thing at all.  Like today.

More approaching footsteps.  

Then, on proud horses and in gleaming armor, several guards walked in.  And the knife flew out of Cassandra's hand, elegantly slitting the commander's throat before flying back to her hand.  A move she perfected a few years ago.

"Go..." she hissed to the frightened men.  Her voice didn't sound like the princess's voice.  Because, in some sense, she wasn't the princess now.  For supposed loyal guards, some of them hesitated, others backed up.  Deciding to kill them for just that, Cassandra lunged at them.  Her knife was meet with royal steel, and she demonically smiled.

Dodging their blows, Cassandra got closer and closer to them.  One at a time, they fell.  Sometimes she slit their necks, other times she stabbed their heart.  

By the end, fifteen men littered the ground, their ruby blood staining the soil.  Kicking their corpses aside, Cassandra pocketed as many weapons as she could before leaving.

For the palace's guards, they were utterly harmless and useless.  

Smiling to herself, Cassandra continued on with her business.

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Further down the alley, Cassandra eyed her opponent.  Like her, he was an assassin.  Unlike her, he didn't respect or understand loyalty.  And he was weaker.

Not too long ago, Cassandra had exchanged a few pieces of gold for a set of elegantly crafted arrows.  When he didn't fulfill his end of the bargain, Cassandra had firmly walked off.  She never functioned properly when she was angry, and she didn't bother to try.  Now, however, she was going to teach him a lesson.  Like she did to all betrayers.

Like she did to anyone who questioned or challenged her.  How else was she supposed to earn the title "World's Most Notorious Assassin?"  Though "Alalidus's  Killing Machine" worked great too.  Both were better than "Alalidus's royal princess."

In all honesty, there was nothing exactly bad being a princess.  Sure, there was the fake smiles, insane manners, and girly clothes.  But Cassandra could use that to her advantage.  No, it was the fact that she was born with that title; that she didn't do anything to earn it.

"Delexion," she hissed at him, his name tasting like poison on her tongue.  When he spun around, Cassandra could see the shock and fear in his expression.  Good.  Slowly, suspensefully, she took another step towards him.

"Cassandra," he responded in kind, bracing himself for a fight.  Already, Cassandra was amused.  "What do you want?"

"My weapons," Cassandra replied simply, though her tone implied that she didn't just want his weapons.  She wanted his life.  She was here to claim what was her's.   And, after his betrayal, a few pieces of gold didn't just buy her a few arrows-in bought her his life.  His god-damned life.

"Then you can leave," he spat, glaring at her as his hand picked up a sword.  Cassandra met his gaze with a glare at her own, her own figures curling around the handle of her weapon.  A smirk danced on her lips.

"Oh, trust me, I don't like leaving empty handed.  And if you don't give me what I want, I'll take what I can get," Cassandra purred.  Then she advanced towards him, the sword that was on her belt a minute ago now slamming into his.  Cassandra listened to the satisfying clink! of metal hitting metal, of sword slashing sword.  The was his fault, his demonic fault and he was going to pay.  In the same, satisfying way as the betrayers before him. 

Within a moment, Cassandra shoved him down, bringing the battle to the ground.  Her strongest point.  Just as Delexion was about to wrap his arm around her neck to slam her down, Cassandra flicked a dagger out and stabbed his flimsy palm, pinning it to the ground.

Delexion screamed in what Cassandra assumed was pain.  A smile danced on her lips, while a frown formed on her face.  Despite the pleasure that came from haring her enemies scream, Cassandra knew that she couldn't risk him exposing her location.  

"Pity," she muttered, shoving a gag into his mouth while keeping him pinned.  He legs were desperately trying to get her off him, though Cassandra knew just how to hold her grown.  Staying where she was, Cassandra looked into his eyes.  Then she hissed, "I'm going to cut off as many body parts as I can before I kill you."  

Absolute fear and agonizing pain filled his hallowed and dark eyes, but he kept trying to resist.  By now, he legs were really starting to annoy her, so she cut them off.  As he shook violently, reacting to the sudden pain, Cassandra watched the blood the flowed out with keen interest.  Though, the bone sticking out really wasn't Cassandra's style.  Seriously, it wasn't.  So Cassandra easily pulled it out, and he shook some more.

Moving on to the fun stuff, Cassandra cut his hands off, then at his elbows, then eventually his entire arm.  By now, his eyes were squeezed shut in pain, and he was unconscious.  Cassandra smiled darkly to herself, finally cutting his head off.  As gruesome as the whole scene was, Cassandra didn't regret it one bit.

Then she used his blood to write a warning on the alley's wall.  "This is what happens when you betray me."  By now, everyone would know who this "me" was, so Cassandra didn't bother wasting time to specify.  

She she dragged his body parts over, she noticed something that made her flinch.  A burn mark along his cheek.  

Looking at her hand, she the slightest hint of ashes.  Cassandra found herself shaking, biting her lips to prevent her emotions from overcoming her.  Deep breathes, she reminded herself.  

Then, looking back at the dead body parts, Cassandra winced.  She handed dead body parts- dead arms, dead legs, dead everything.  Though, sometimes she just needed to be ruthless and teach him a lesson.  And give others a warning.  So she tossed them one at a time under the en-scripted message and went into his little hideout. 

Smiling to herself, Cassandra looked at the variety of weapons he had crafted.  such a shame that his talents had to go to waste; such a shame that such talented hands were paired up with a disloyal brain.  Taking as much as she could, Cassandra slipped them into her bag before leaving.  

As she climbed up the cold wall, Cassandra took a final look back at the dusty alley.  I'll be back, she thought, pulling her hood over her head and leaving.  All around her, the wind howled, and Cassandra shivered.  Perhaps the most humane thing she did in the past hour.